Education

Allows specialized deaf and hard-of-hearing services to be the only services in a student's education plan. Enables schools to contract specialized hearing services through certified nonpublic agencies. Recognizes that deaf students may need communication support without requiring special education classes.

Requires new teachers to complete youth mental health training as part of their credential requirements. Expands existing health education requirements in teacher preparation programs to include mental health awareness. Aims to improve student mental health support through better-prepared educators.

Authorizes the Student Aid Commission to extend financial aid deadlines when FAFSA opening is delayed. Allows a 30-day extension for financial aid applications without requiring formal requests. Requires the Commission to notify stakeholders of deadline extensions within 48 hours. Mandates public posting of extended deadlines and affected regions on the Commission's website.

Extends the deadline for county superintendents to review school textbooks from 4 to 8 weeks of the school year. Requires priority inspections within 4 weeks for schools with reported textbook shortages or safety hazards. Mandates quarterly reports to school boards on inspection results and facility conditions. Takes effect immediately to ensure proper implementation for the 2025-26 school year.

Extends childcare provider reimbursement rates and monthly cost-of-care payments through June 2026. Reduces the required documented childcare need from 6 to 5 hours for daily rate reimbursements. Allocates $88.5 million to reimburse providers based on families' certified childcare needs. Establishes a new unified rate structure based on factors like geography and type of care setting.

Establishes the Office of Education Inspector General to conduct audits and investigations of schools and prevent fraud and abuse. Requires charter schools to follow the same financial reporting and audit standards as public school districts by 2026-27. Mandates stricter oversight of nonclassroom-based charter schools, including limits on authorization and funding determinations. Enhances audit requirements for all schools with new quality control reviews, continuing education for auditors, and detailed financial reporting.

Mandates new literacy teaching standards for reading specialist and administrator credentials by 2028. Requires adoption of evidence-based K-8 reading materials aligned with state literacy frameworks by 2027. Establishes comprehensive literacy instruction requirements including phonics and support for struggling readers. Requires schools to certify that locally-chosen materials meet state literacy standards.

Expands community college firefighting programs for incarcerated individuals by January 2028. Establishes a firefighter training program at the Ventura Training Center for formerly incarcerated people. Creates a 5-year pilot program in Los Angeles County to employ former inmates as firefighters. Requires program evaluation and reporting to assess effectiveness of the pilot program.

Authorizes continuation high schools to offer workforce development programs on up to two weekdays per week. Requires students to maintain 15 hours of weekly class attendance while participating in workforce programs. Mandates programs to provide industry certifications or academic credit through supervised workplace experiences. Requires partnerships with colleges or accredited workforce organizations to deliver training programs.

Expands school employee catastrophic leave programs to include charter schools and state emergencies. Allows employees to donate vacation and sick leave to colleagues affected by catastrophic events. Requires employees to exhaust their paid leave before receiving donated leave credits. Limits the use of donated leave to 12 consecutive months with a minimum donation of 8 hours.

Establishes a new grant program to fund career technical education and job training in high-poverty areas. Creates a statewide coordinating entity to streamline workforce development programs across agencies. Requires grant recipients to partner with community colleges and align programs with labor market needs. Prioritizes funding for programs serving historically underrepresented communities and adult learners.

Establishes a state bond program to fund construction and modernization of California public college facilities. Requires universities to create five-year affordable student housing plans before receiving bond funds. Mandates independent audits and public hearings for all bond-funded projects to ensure transparency. Prioritizes projects addressing student housing affordability, seismic safety, and critical maintenance needs.

Expands California school assessment options to include Cambridge International examinations for evaluating student growth. Requires school counselors to promote Cambridge International programs alongside AP and IB options. Establishes formal recognition of Cambridge International programs within California's education system. Enables students who complete Cambridge programs to earn advanced placement credits at universities.

Increases maximum Cal Grant tuition awards to $9,708 for students at independent colleges starting 2026-27. Removes funding restrictions for community college students transferring to independent institutions. Requires independent colleges to meet transfer student targets to qualify for higher award amounts. Maintains financial aid eligibility for students transferring between California higher education institutions.

Requires California public universities to cover learning disability assessment costs for students receiving financial aid. Establishes a state reimbursement program for universities to recover actual costs of disability assessments. Takes effect July 1, 2027 pending state budget approval. Mandates universities to publicly post information about assessment coverage on their websites.

Requires school board members to complete mandatory training on education governance and finance laws by 2028. Mandates development of standardized training curricula by state education agencies by early 2027. Limits training sessions to 4-8 hours and allows completion through in-person, online, or self-study formats. Requires schools to maintain public records of officials' training completion for 5 years.

Expands basic needs services at California public colleges to include comprehensive childcare support and resources. Requires colleges to establish Basic Needs Centers and Coordinators to help students access childcare and other essential services. Mandates financial aid offices to provide information about childcare options and special grants for student parents. Requires campus childcare centers to connect student parents with financial aid and basic needs resources.

Establishes a new grant program to fund Holocaust and genocide education in California schools. Requires schools serving grades 7-12 to receive guidance on teaching Holocaust and genocide topics. Creates a dedicated state fund to support Holocaust and genocide education initiatives. Authorizes a survey within two years to assess Holocaust education in schools.

Requires the state to create new pathways for teachers to earn dual credentials in general and special education by 2027. Establishes routes for existing teachers to add special education or general education credentials to their qualifications. Mandates the review of current credentialing systems to identify barriers and create more efficient certification paths. Aims to address the shortage of special education teachers while promoting inclusive classroom environments.

Expands Cal Grant and Middle Class Scholarship Program eligibility to dependents of active-duty military members stationed outside California who maintain California as their legal residence. Requires students to submit federal financial aid applications by March 2 and maintain satisfactory academic progress to receive awards. Mandates annual audits of at least 10% of new and renewal awards to verify eligibility before disbursing funds. Establishes adjusted income and asset limits that are annually updated based on cost-of-living changes to determine award amounts.

Authorizes small school districts to award multiple repair contracts up to $3 million through simplified bidding. Requires contracts to be awarded to the lowest responsible bidder and funded through approved sources. Mandates independent third-party reports on contract performance by January 2030. Expires automatically on January 1, 2031 unless renewed by the Legislature.

Requires high schools to provide voter registration information to all 11th grade students starting in 2026. Authorizes schools to appoint student voter outreach coordinators who can organize registration drives and elections. Mandates schools to provide paper voter registration forms upon request from students or parents. Allows schools to partner with nonprofit organizations for implementing voter education programs.

Requires community colleges to follow union agreements when terminating temporary employees. Establishes that part-time faculty positions are temporary and dependent on enrollment and funding. Mandates state reimbursement to colleges for costs of implementing these new requirements. Takes effect after current union contracts expire in 2026.

Establishes a process to update California school library standards every eight years starting July 2028. Requires formation of an expert panel with half being credentialed teacher librarians to recommend standard updates. Mandates two public hearings for community input on proposed library standard revisions. Requires state board to adopt, reject, or modify recommended standards within four months of presentation.

Authorizes California colleges to provide admissions preference to descendants of American chattel slavery. Requires applicants to prove direct lineage to a person enslaved before 1900 to qualify for preference. Allows both public and private higher education institutions to implement these preferences. Mandates that all admissions preferences must comply with existing federal law.